Radicchio

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Radicchio
Cichorium intybus var. foliosum
Cultivar groupRadicchio group
Radicchio, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy96 kJ (23 kcal)
4.48 g
Sugars0.6 g
Dietary fiber0.9 g
0.25 g
1.43 g
Niacin (B3)
2%
0.255 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
5%
0.269 mg
Vitamin B6
3%
0.057 mg
Folate (B9)
15%
60 μg
Vitamin C
9%
8 mg
Vitamin E
15%
2.26 mg
Vitamin K
213%
255.2 μg
MineralsQuantity
%DV†
Calcium
1%
19 mg
Iron
3%
0.57 mg
Magnesium
3%
13 mg
Manganese
6%
0.138 mg
Phosphorus
3%
40 mg
Potassium
10%
302 mg
Sodium
1%
22 mg
Zinc
6%
0.62 mg
Link to USDA database entry
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[1] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[2]

Radicchio (

roasted
.

History

intybin, a sedative/analgesic, as well as a type of flavonoid, called anthocyanin
.

Modern cultivation of the plant began in the fifteenth century in the

pigmentation.[citation needed
]

Varieties

The varieties of radicchio are named after the Italian regions where they originate: the most widely available variety in the United States is radicchio di Chioggia, the most popular and widely used variety. It is a round head of the plant, which means it offers the consumer the most uninterrupted surface of the deep red coloring. It was created through genetic selection by local farmers in the early 1900s for this reason. The IGP area for Chioggia includes just ten towns from the boroughs of Venice (where one finds Chioggia itself), Padua, and Rovigo.

Red radicchio of Treviso
Red radicchio of Treviso - 1954, Touring Club Italiano

Radicchio rosso di Treviso precoce is a longer head than Chioggia, and the white veins are more pronounced. It has a distinctive bitter taste, and the heads are blanched as per the endive procedure to achieve the coloring and flavoring (heads are tied and left without light for two to three weeks post-harvest). The IGP area includes 24 towns in the boroughs of Treviso, Venice, and Padua.

Other varieties include 'Tardivo', Treviso tardivo is considered the king of radicchio in Italy. It involves weeks of painstaking manual labor using a traditional forced growing and blanching method to produce the white ribs with red tops. After harvest, the heads are left in tanks of running resurgence water for two weeks. They are then cut, washed, and packaged. There are strict regulations on the length and appearance of the root left on the head. Radicchio tardivo is crunchy and bitter and is usually eaten cooked.

The di

Protected Geographical Status
applied to the names of some radicchio varieties, including 'Tardivo.'

Culinary uses

In Italian cuisine, it is usually eaten grilled with olive oil or mixed into dishes such as risotto. It can also be served with pasta or be used in strudel, as a poultry stuffing, or as an ingredient for a tapenade.

As with all

chicories, its roots, after roasting and grinding, can be used as a coffee substitute
or coffee additive.

Toxicity

According to folklore, long-term use of chicory as a coffee substitute may damage human retinal tissue, dimming vision over time and other long-term effects. Modern scientific literature contains little evidence to support or refute this claim. Root chicory contains volatile oils similar to those found in plants in the related genus

intestinal worms. All parts of the plant contain these volatile oils, with most of the toxic components concentrated in the plant's root.[3]

Studies indicate that ingestion of chicory by farm animals results in a reduction of worm burdens, which has prompted its widespread use as a forage supplement.

Cultivation

Radicchio is easy to grow but performs best in spring (

West European
winter, and the head will regenerate if cut off carefully above ground level, so long as the plant is protected against severe frost. A light-excluding cover (e.g., an inverted pot) may be used during the latter phases of growth to produce leaves with a more pronounced colour contrast, simultaneously protecting against frost and cold winds. Traditionally in the United Kingdom, the first cutting of chicory heads was thrown away, and the tender, forced, second head was for the table. However, improved varieties of radicchio (e.g., Rosso di Verona) and generally milder winters allow the West European cultivator to harvest two or more crops from a single planting.

References

Notes

  1. ^ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  2. PMID 30844154.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  3. ISBN 0-87842-359-1

Sources

External links

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